December 2009

PROJECT NEWS

ARTICLES

Geeks Drive Girls Out of Computer Science

(Jeanna Bryner, MSNBC)
The stereotype of computer scientists as geeks who memorize Star Trek lines and
never leave the lab may be driving women away from the field, a new study suggests.
And women can be turned off by just the physical environment, say, of a computer-science
classroom or office that's strewn with objects considered "masculine geeky," such
as video games and science-fiction stuff.Read More

NBC to Show Where Science and the Olympics Meet

(Joanne C. Gerstner, The New York Times)
Think of it as Mr. Wizard goes to the Olympics. NBC has teamed with the National
Science Foundation to create a series of videos detailing how science helps potential
Vancouver Olympians unleash their best performances. Each installment features athletic
skills, such as a hockey slap shot, broken down through high-definition video. N.S.F.
scientists help explain the science. The first installment in the 16-part "The Science
of the Winter Olympic Games" series, narrated by NBC anchor Lester Holt, aired on
the "Today Show." The videos will also be accessible on NBColympics.com/science.Read More

New Programs Aim to Lure Young Into Digital Jobs

(Steve Lohr, The New York Times)
Experts in education and technology say that better computer science education in
schools and an improved image of computer science careers are needed to entice more
students to prepare for the digital jobs of the future. The National Science Foundation
is developing an introductory computer science course that is aimed at showing students
how technology is integrated across many industries. "The fear is that if you pursue
computer science, you will be stuck in a basement, writing code. That is absolutely
not the reality," a Google executive said.Read More

Majoring in Math Not Always a Classroom Plus

(Sean Cavanagh, Education Week)
A chief requirement of a successful math teacher is having majored in math in college,
one might think, but research shows it has little advantage, according to Education
Week. Counterintuitive?--perhaps, especially given widespread alarm among policymakers
over STEM teacher credentials. A fundamental grasp of math is necessary, but what
observers say is crucial is an instructional repertoire for teaching it.Read More

10 Tips for Success for Engineering Students

(Lynn F. Jacobs and Jeremy S. Hyman, U.S. News & World Report, Professors' Guide)
According to a recent survey by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA,
one third of college freshmen plan to major in science and engineering, while about
8 percent of all first-year students intend to concentrate in engineering proper.
Some of these engineering students are destined to land major leadership roles in
the United States and worldwide, while others are . . . well, every field has its
"lesser lights."Read More

Former Science Teacher Takes Physics Show on the Road

(Kristen Cates, Great Falls Tribune)
Middle-school students in Great Falls, Mont., recently received a visit from the
"Mr. G Science Show," a program designed by retired teacher Glenn Govertsen aimed
at getting students excited about physics. Govertsen uses loud hip-hop and pop music
to teach students about sound vibration and has students don 3-D glasses as he teaches
them about the properties of light. "I really feel it's something unique to try
and motivate kids in science," Govertsen said.Read More

Entry-Level Engineering Positions Set for Growth

(Andrea Kay, Green Bay Press Gazette)
Andrea Kay explains to parents of recent engineering grads "why, if engineers are
in such demand and there's a scary shortage," it can still be difficult for new
engineers to find employment.Read More

Studying Laws of Attraction: Researchers, Educators Work to Draw High School Girls
More into Science

(Emily McFarlan, Courier News)
High school girls are bored, disengaged and stressed in science classes compared
to boys, according to the initial findings of a Northern Illinois University research
study released last month "Our girls don't do any worse than the boys do, but (science)
just doesn't do it for them," said Jennifer Schmidt, an associate professor of educational
psychology at NIU. Science in the Moment, or SciMo, is a three-year project funded
by the National Science Foundation to document, describe and understand how male
and female students experience science classes.Read More

Math, Tech and the Women Who Don't Love Them

(Gerry Shih, The New York Times)
It's no secret to anyone in Silicon Valley that math, science and technology fields
remain dominated by men, despite some progress by women in recent years. Women make
up 46 percent of the American workforce but hold just 25 percent of the jobs in
engineering, technology and science, according to the National Science Foundation.
To Sally K. Ride, a former astronaut, that persistent gender gap is a national crisis
that will prove to deeply detrimental to America's global competitiveness.Read More

PUBLICATIONS

Diversifying the STEM Pipeline: The Model Replication Institutions Program

(Jenna Cullinane and Lacey H. Leegwater, Institute for Higher Education Policy)
This report describes effective practices and policies that have enhanced and strengthened
the STEM offerings at nine MSIs. These institutions participate in the National
Science Foundation's (NSF) Model Replication Institutions (MRI) initiative, which
builds on best practices in STEM undergraduate education identified previously by
a NSF- and NASA-supported, 11-year-old program called the Model Institutions of
Excellence (MIE).
Learn More

Advancing STEM Education

(NSF Press Release)
This NSF initiative brings together different scientific disciplines and diverse
communities of faculty and students--often on the same campus.Learn More

DISCLAIMER

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the material
published in the NAPE Update are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect
the views of NAPE. Furthermore, inclusion of a product, program, or practice in
the NAPE Update does not imply its endorsement by NAPE.

Disclaimer: Any opinions, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed
in the material contained in the resources sections on this website are those of
the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NAPE Education Foundation
or projects. Furthermore, inclusion of a product, program, or practice in the NAPE
website does not imply its endorsement by the NAPE Education Foundation.